The shopping center on the corner of Las Vegas Blvd and Sahara Ave opened in summer '59 as Francisco Square when the cross street was "San Francisco Ave." The business at the center was a grocery store serving the Meadows neighborhood. A series of casinos followed. It has been Bonanza Gifts since the early 80s.
'30s-50s: Tower Auto Court preceded the retail square.
'59: Francisco Square opens. Francisco Square Super Market ('59), Food Giant ('63), and Mayfair Market ('64) - grocery stores in the center building.
SOUTH WING
'59: Honest John’s - newsstand/liquor store opened by Normal Little in the south wing of the mall. Bought by the Ferguson's in '63, it was turned into a casino. Incorporated into Jolly Trolley in '78.
'67: Lucky’s Casino, Money Tree ('67-'81). Owner Don Pettit changed the name to Money Tree in '72.
CENTER BUILDING
'71: Big Wheel Casino. Opened by Jay Sarno, 8/7/71, with a Ferris wheel built on top of the casino the following month. Closed 8/31/73, and reopened by W. Woofter 10/74 to 1/75.
'75: Centerfold. Opened by James A. Bilbray 4/75, and sold 7/76 to BMD Inc, Bendetti, Mastro, and DeLamos, fronts for mob interests.
'76: Jolly Trolley. BMD changed the name to Jolly Trolley 2/77. Sold to Don Pettit 11/78, and closed in '81.
EAST WING
'71: Jackpot Casino ('71-'79) - East wing of the mall.
'82: Quarter Corner Casino ('82-'89) - In a smaller portion of the east wing, replaced by Friendly Fergies ('89-'97).
'83: Bonanza Gifts opens, eventually spans the entire square.
Honest John's Casino, 304 Ogden at 3rd, Las Vegas - c. 1964
Art Grant and Norman Little opened two Honest John’s locations in Las Vegas: the first at Francisco Square (Las Vegas Blvd & Sahara), and this one at Ogden Square Shopping Center in ‘61.
Andy Tompkins bought the 3rd & Ogden location in 1964 – “a struggling operation with 17 slot, a hot dog stand, a barber shop, newspapers, magazines and a few racks of paperbacks” – and turned it into a full-time slots casino. Tompkins changed the name in ‘68, founding the Lady Luck Casino, and later founded the Las Vegas Philharmonic.
“Andy threw fantastic three day parties. He hated unions, said he would give the casino away to a stranger, before he allowed any unions in his casino. Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays he would give me a counting clicker and told me to go to each Fremont Street casino and count how many people were there. I just walked around with the clicker hid in the palm of my hand secretly clicking every time I saw a person. He wanted to see which casino was doing the best and why.” - Joe Dize
Overlooking 3rd & Ogden, mid 60s.
3rd St facing Ogden, the post office (Mob Museum), and Honest John's casino – circa 67.
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